The field of the disclosure relates generally to optical communications, and more specifically, to methods and systems for fast analog conversion using a burst mode optical media converter.
The ARINC 629 data bus in at least one known application uses metal twisted pair electrical bus cables, stub cables, bus terminators and current mode couplers (CMC) mounted on heavy metallic panels. All of these components are bulky, heavy and expensive. Optical communications solutions, such as those that utilize optical fiber as a communications media, are desirable due to the reduced weight. Reduction of weight is nearly always desirable in an aircraft.
One existing solution for implementing an optical fiber data bus incorporates glass optical fibers (GOFs). This system utilizes 850 nm wavelength transmitters and receivers that are packaged individually as a pair, called a Fiber Optic Serial Interface Module (FOSIM). The FOSIM transmitter and receiver have interface electronics to the terminal controller which send and receive electrical signal to and from the FOSIM in Manchester bi-phase format. In the typical aircraft application, these FOSIMs are located inside the various avionics subsystems of the aircraft that utilize the data bus for communications. Often, these avionic subsystems are referred to as Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). Inside the LRU, the FOSIMs are mounted along with the terminal controller on a multilayer 6U (full size) VME circuit card.
The existing solution has a major disadvantage. Using the FOSIMs within an LRU requires modification and re-certification of the LRU. The re-certification process is expensive. There is a strong desire in the aircraft production community to develop an optical data bus, for example, a plastic optical fiber data bus, to replace the current electrical ARINC 629 data bus for future upgrades of such aircraft, though embodiments would not be limited to aircraft applications.